scholarly journals Large-Scale in Vitro Transcription, RNA Purification and Chemical Probing Analysis

2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 1915-1927 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fariha Kanwal ◽  
Ting Chen ◽  
Yunlon Zhang ◽  
Altaf Simair ◽  
Cai Rujie ◽  
...  

Background/Aims: RNA elements such as catalytic RNA, riboswitch, microRNA, and long non coding RNA (lncRNA) play central roles in many cellular processes. Studying diverse RNA functions require large quantities of RNA for precise structure analysis. Current RNA structure and function studies can benefit from improved RNA quantity and quality, simpler separation procedure and enhanced accuracy of structural analysis. Methods: Here we present an optimized protocol for analyzing the structure of any RNA, including in vitro transcription, size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) based denaturing purification and improved secondary structure analysis by chemical probing. Results: We observed that higher Mg2+, nucleoside triphosphate (NTP) concentrations and longer reaction duration can improve the RNA yield from in vitro transcription, specifically for longer and more complicated constructs. Our improved SEC-based denaturing RNA purification effectively halved the experiment duration and labor without introducing any contaminant. Finally, this study increased the accuracy and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of selective 2′-hydroxyl acylation analyzed by primer extension (SHAPE) chemical probing for analyzing RNA structure. Conclusion: Part or all of our modified method can improve almost any RNA-related study from protein-RNA interaction analysis to crystallography.

Author(s):  
José M. Andrade ◽  
Ricardo F. dos Santos ◽  
Cecília M. Arraiano

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 896-908 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eden R. Freire ◽  
Amaranta M. Malvezzi ◽  
Ajay A. Vashisht ◽  
Joanna Zuberek ◽  
Edwin A. Saada ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Trypanosomes lack the transcriptional control characteristic of the majority of eukaryotes that is mediated by gene-specific promoters in a one-gene–one-promoter arrangement. Rather, their genomes are transcribed in large polycistrons with no obvious functional linkage. Posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression must thus play a larger role in these organisms. The eIF4E homolog TbEIF4E6 binds mRNA cap analogs in vitro and is part of a complex in vivo that may fulfill such a role. Knockdown of TbEIF4E6 tagged with protein A-tobacco etch virus protease cleavage site-protein C to approximately 15% of the normal expression level resulted in viable cells that displayed a set of phenotypes linked to detachment of the flagellum from the length of the cell body, if not outright flagellum loss. While these cells appeared and behaved as normal under stationary liquid culture conditions, standard centrifugation resulted in a marked increase in flagellar detachment. Furthermore, the ability of TbEIF4E6-depleted cells to engage in social motility was reduced. The TbEIF4E6 protein forms a cytosolic complex containing a triad of proteins, including the eIF4G homolog TbEIF4G5 and a hypothetical protein of 70.3 kDa, referred to as TbG5-IP. The TbG5-IP analysis revealed two domains with predicted secondary structures conserved in mRNA capping enzymes: nucleoside triphosphate hydrolase and guanylyltransferase. These complex members have the potential for RNA interaction, either via the 5′ cap structure for TbEIF4E6 and TbG5-IP or through RNA-binding domains in TbEIF4G5. The associated proteins provide a signpost for future studies to determine how this complex affects capped RNA molecules.


2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siqi Tian ◽  
Rhiju Das

The discoveries of myriad non-coding RNA molecules, each transiting through multiple flexible states in cells or virions, present major challenges for structure determination. Advances in high-throughput chemical mapping give new routes for characterizing entire transcriptomes in vivo, but the resulting one-dimensional data generally remain too information-poor to allow accurate de novo structure determination. Multidimensional chemical mapping (MCM) methods seek to address this challenge. Mutate-and-map (M2), RNA interaction groups by mutational profiling (RING-MaP and MaP-2D analysis) and multiplexed .OH cleavage analysis (MOHCA) measure how the chemical reactivities of every nucleotide in an RNA molecule change in response to modifications at every other nucleotide. A growing body of in vitro blind tests and compensatory mutation/rescue experiments indicate that MCM methods give consistently accurate secondary structures and global tertiary structures for ribozymes, ribosomal domains and ligand-bound riboswitch aptamers up to two hundred nucleotides in length. Importantly, MCM analyses provide detailed information on structurally heterogeneous RNA states, such as ligand-free riboswitches, that are functionally important but difficult to resolve with other approaches. The sequencing requirements of currently available MCM protocols scale at least quadratically with RNA length, precluding general application to transcriptomes or viral genomes at present. We propose a modify-crosslink-map expansion to overcome this and other current limitations to resolving the in vivo "RNA structurome".


Author(s):  
Siqi Tian ◽  
Rhiju Das

AbstractThe discoveries of myriad non-coding RNA molecules, each transiting through multiple flexible states in cells or virions, present major challenges for structure determination. Advances in high-throughput chemical mapping give new routes for characterizing entire transcriptomesin vivo, but the resulting one-dimensional data generally remain too information-poor to allow accuratede novostructure determination. Multidimensional chemical mapping (MCM) methods seek to address this challenge. Mutate-and-map (M2), RNA interaction groups by mutational profiling (RING-MaP and MaP-2D analysis) and multiplexed •OH cleavage analysis (MOHCA) measure how the chemical reactivities of every nucleotide in an RNA molecule change in response to modifications at every other nucleotide. A growing body ofin vitroblind tests and compensatory mutation/rescue experiments indicate that MCM methods give consistently accurate secondary structures and global tertiary structures for ribozymes, ribosomal domains and ligand-bound riboswitch aptamers up to 200 nucleotides in length. Importantly, MCM analyses provide detailed information on structurally heterogeneous RNA states, such as ligand-free riboswitches that are functionally important but difficult to resolve with other approaches. The sequencing requirements of currently available MCM protocols scale at least quadratically with RNA length, precluding general application to transcriptomes or viral genomes at present. We propose a modify-cross-link-map (MXM) expansion to overcome this and other current limitations to resolving thein vivo ‘RNA structurome’.


2019 ◽  
Vol 476 (16) ◽  
pp. 2297-2319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Grzechowiak ◽  
Milosz Ruszkowski ◽  
Joanna Sliwiak ◽  
Kamil Szpotkowski ◽  
Michal Sikorski ◽  
...  

Abstract Inorganic pyrophosphatases (PPases, EC 3.6.1.1), which hydrolyze inorganic pyrophosphate to phosphate in the presence of divalent metal cations, play a key role in maintaining phosphorus homeostasis in cells. DNA coding inorganic pyrophosphatases from Arabidopsis thaliana (AtPPA1) and Medicago truncatula (MtPPA1) were cloned into a bacterial expression vector and the proteins were produced in Escherichia coli cells and crystallized. In terms of their subunit fold, AtPPA1 and MtPPA1 are reminiscent of other members of Family I soluble pyrophosphatases from bacteria and yeast. Like their bacterial orthologs, both plant PPases form hexamers, as confirmed in solution by multi-angle light scattering and size-exclusion chromatography. This is in contrast with the fungal counterparts, which are dimeric. Unexpectedly, the crystallized AtPPA1 and MtPPA1 proteins lack ∼30 amino acid residues at their N-termini, as independently confirmed by chemical sequencing. In vitro, self-cleavage of the recombinant proteins is observed after prolonged storage or during crystallization. The cleaved fragment corresponds to a putative signal peptide of mitochondrial targeting, with a predicted cleavage site at Val31–Ala32. Site-directed mutagenesis shows that mutations of the key active site Asp residues dramatically reduce the cleavage rate, which suggests a moonlighting proteolytic activity. Moreover, the discovery of autoproteolytic cleavage of a mitochondrial targeting peptide would change our perception of this signaling process.


2009 ◽  
Vol 32 (6S) ◽  
pp. 3
Author(s):  
A Baass ◽  
H Wassef ◽  
M Tremblay ◽  
L Bernier ◽  
R Dufour ◽  
...  

Introduction: LCAT (lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase ) is an enzyme which plays an essential role in cholesterol esterification and reverse cholesterol transport. Familial LCAT deficiency (FLD) is a disease characterized by a defect in LCAT resulting in extremely low HDL-C, premature corneal opacities, anemia as well as proteinuria and renal failure. Method: We have identified two brothers presenting characteristics of familial LCAT deficiency. We sequenced the LCAT gene, measured the lipid profile as well as the LCAT activity in 15 members of this kindred. We also characterized the plasma lipoproteins by agarose gel electrophoresis and size exclusion chromatography and sequenced several candidate genes related to dysbetalipoproteinemia in this family. Results: We have identified the first French Canadian kindred with familial LCAT deficiency. Two brothers affected by FLD, were homozygous for a novel LCAT mutation. This c.102delG mutation occurs at the codon for His35 causing a frameshift that stops transcription at codon 61 abolishing LCAT enzymatic activity both in vivo and in vitro. It has a dramatic effect on the lipoprotein profile, with an important reduction of HDL-C in both heterozygotes (22%) and homozygotes (88%) and a significant decrease in LDL-C in heterozygotes (35%) as well as homozygotes (58%). Furthermore, the lipoprotein profile differed markedly between the two affected brothers who had different APOE genotypes. We propose that APOE could be an important modifier gene explaining heterogeneity in lipoprotein profiles observed among FLD patients. Our results suggest that a LCAT-/- genotype associated with an APOE ?2 allele could be a novel mechanism leading to dysbetalipoproteinemia.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document